Railway-signal.



No. 638,607. Patented Dec. 5, I899. H. B. TAYLOR.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

(Application filed Jan. 24, 1899.)

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T: uomus PETERS cu. PHo'ro-u'ruo wAsHmarcu a c NTTED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

HERBERT B. TAYLOR, OF NEWARK, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES IVAYLAND,SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,607, dated December5, 1899.

Application filed January 24, 1899- Serial No. 703,238. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT B. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Signals, of \vhich'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway-signals.

The chief object of the invention is to provide an illuminated semaphoreto indicate to an engineer the condition of the track.

In carrying out the invention I provide in or on the semaphore-blade aseries of electric lamps, preferably incandescent lamps, and in order tosave energy provide a mechanism by which these lamps shall be connectedin an electric circuit with a source of energy only at the proper timeto signal the engineer of an approaching train. I preferably employ as asource of electric energy a storage battery mounted upon or locatedadjacent to the signal-post, which battery may also serve as a source ofmotive power by which the semaphore is actuated.

The several features of novelty of the invention will be hereinaftermore particularly described and will be definitely indicated in theclaims appended to this specification.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate the invention, Figure l isa side elevation, partly in section and partly diagrammatic, of asemaphore and its supportingpost arranged according to my invention andconnected with a track-circuit for control ling its operation. Fig. 2 isa side elevation, partly in section, of a semaphore containing twoseries of illuminating devices by which different signals may be given.Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on a plane indicated by the line in yof Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the semaphore-blade, showingthe attachments for mounting one lamp.

Referring first to Fig. 1, which shows a semaphore with a single line orseries of illuminating devices to indicate the condition of the blockinto which a train is about to enter, I mount upon the semaphore-bladeaseries ofincaudescent electric lamps 1 l 1,which are electricallyconnected by suitable leads with a commutator or circuit-breaker mountedon a sleeve which forms the axis of the semaphore, so as to turn withit. The commutator is provided with two metallic segments 2 2 mountedupon a ring or annulus of insulating material and electrically connectedwith the leads of the lamps 1 l 1, which pass through the hollow axis 3of the semaphore. I preferably use as a source of energy for lightingthe lamps a storage battery, (indicated at S B,) which when a trainapproaches furnishes a source of constant potential at the brushes orterminals 4 4. The segments of. the commutator cover an arc of aboutsixty degrees or suficient to cover the range of movement of thesemaphore when dropping from a danger position to a safety position.

I preferably include between the storage battery and the brushes 4 4 acircuit-breaker 5, which is here shown as simply a weighted pivotedlever provided with a curled-spring contact to make a rubbing connectionwith a cooperating similar contact when the circuitbreaker is operated.I mount this circuitbreaker, as well as the other moving parts of thecontrolling mechanism of the semaphore, in a housing or closed spacesupported by the signal-post. The lever of the circuit-breaker 5projects through a slot in the side of the housingin the path of thelampwhen the latter is placed on its supporting-hook on the side of thepost. Thus the operator in the pursuit of his regular duties insures thestorage battery being disconnected from the lamps on the semaphore-bladeduring the day and the connection therewith for night use.

7represents the solenoid or other motorcontrolling the movements of thesemaphore. The controlling-circuits by which the move ments of thesemaphore are regulated may be of any desired arrangement. As I haveshown them, however. in this case, I provide a rail-circuit at each sideof the signal-post normally charged with potential. and provide relays 89 in the rail-circuits, which are adapted to be short-circuited when atrain enters a track-section corresponding to the relay, being therebydeenergized and operating the controlling-circuits of the semaphore. Thecircuit operating the semaphore is normally open at the armature ofrelay 10, which is controlled by the joint operation of relays 8 9, thecontrolling-circuit being normally completed through the armature ofrelay 8 and open at relay 9. Thus when a train approaches the signal andenters track section A relay 9 is denergized and the circuit throughrelay 10 completed from the storage battery by way of conductors 11, 12,13, and 14. The armature of relay 10 thereby cuts in a parallel branchof the storage battery, energizing the motor 7 and operating thesemaphore. Another parallel branch, including the commutator-brushes 4 4is closed and the lamps 1 1 1 fed with current through thecommutator-segments 2 2. As the semaphore tilts under the influence ofthe motor the connection with the storage battery is preferablypreserved until a train passes out of section A by making thecommutatorsegments 2 2 of sufficient width to prevent interruption ofthe circuitby the sweep of the semaphore. I may, however, cutout thelamps when the semaphore reaches its safety position, and in such a casewill'form the arcs 2 2 of such a width as to accomplish this re-' sult.lVhere a change of color in the light is desirable, I mount on thesemaphore'blade two rows of lamps differing in color-as, for instance,red and whiteand in such case the commutator would be accordinglychanged, so as to cut them in in order. Such an organization is shown inFig. 2, the two series of lamps having one set of terminals connectedwith a commonconductor 15 and the other sets of terminals with differentconductors l6 17, which lead to different commutatorbars l8 l9,conductor 15 being connected with a third commutator-bar 20.

The brushes which form the terminals of the storage-battery circuit bearone upon the commutator-segment 20 and the other in active relation whenin danger position of the semaphore to the commutator-segment 18. Thuswhen the signal is operated the red lamps will flash a signal to anapproaching engineer, while the segment drops to its safety position.When it reaches that position, they Will be cut out and the white lampsthrown into a circuit, which latter may be automatically cut out on theentry of any part of the train into the track-section forward of thesignal-post or may be arranged to simply flash the signal while thesemaphore is dropping to its safety position. By reason of the jointoperation of relays 8 and 9, corresponding to the two tracksections, ifa train be in the forward section the engineer on entering section Acannot get a clear signal.

In Fig. 4 is shown a convenient form for mounting the lamps in thesemaphore-blade. A soft-rubber socket 21 is mounted in the blade, inwhich is anchored by molding a spun threaded metallic socket 22,permitting the lamp base to be screwed thereinto. This socket connectswith one of the lamp-leads on the semaphore-blade, as indicated at 23,

the other lead terminating in a contact 24:, anchored in the rubber inposition to engage the other terminal of the filam cut. The leads andscrews which fasten the rubber socket to the semaphore-blade areprotected from the weather by a sheath of aluminium or other waterproofmaterial, as indicated at 25. This construction prevents damage to 1l1elamps by shock and makes the posts waterproof. The storage batteries andrelays (indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1) are in practice housed ina closed casing supported on the signal-post.

In systems in which home and distant signals are used the two semaphoresmay carry lamps of different colors.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A railway-signal comprisingasemaphore having one or more electriclamps mounted on its blade, a circuit-closer for said lamps in asupply-circuit operated by the movement of the semaphore, and anauxiliary circuitcloser in said supply-circuit controlled by a relayin atrack-circuit, said auxiliary circuitcloser depending for its operationon the position of a train on the track.

2. A railway-signal comprising a semaphore having one or more electriclamps mounted on its blade, electrically-operated devices for shiftingthe semaphore, a circuit-closer in the lamp-circuit operated by themovement of the semaphore, a source of current common to thesemaphoreoperating motor and the lamp-circuit, and a relay in atrack-circuitcontrolling an auxiliary circuit-closer common to both thelamp and semaphore operating circuit.

3. A railway-signal comprising asemaphore carrying one or moreincandescent electric lamps, a source of electric energy adapted to beconnected with said lamps, and a circuitbreaker controlled by asignal-lantern mounted on the post and adapted to cut ofi the batteryconnection when removed therefrom.

4. A rail way-signal comprising a semaphore having mounted in its bladea lamp-socket formed of soft rubber to receive and cushion anincandescent lamp, a flange on said socket overlapping the rear side ofthe blade, contacts for the lamp-terminals and a metallic screw-cap forthe lamp molded into the socket, metallic bushings in the flangeconnecting with the terminals, and fastening devices passing throughsaid bushings and securing the socket to the screw and uniting thecircuit-leads to the socket-contacts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day ofJanuary, A. D. 1899.

HERBERT B. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

ROB'I. H. READ, 7 Anal: G. HAcANDREw.

